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Removing Rib Membranes

Removing Rib Membranes

When Cooking ribs the first thing you have to do is remove the membrane on the back of the ribs. If you leave it on, it won’t flavor, its hard to bite through it. Its chewy and not good BBQ. Removing it can be hard. Its about paper towels.

Work your finger or a table knife up under the membrane and get a corner started. You have to get the whole width of the membrane loose or it will come off in strips in strips. If you can get a good inch all the way across started off the ribs it will leave pieces on the top side of the ribs.

I’ve done 50 – one hour video’s cooking ribs and took the membrane off every time. If you do Spare Ribs which are the whole belly ribs. It has a piece of back bone on it. You can start the membranes coming off by starting at the top of the spare ribs not part of the St Louis cut. Take the membranes off before you trim it into St Louis Cut.

When you get a part of the membrane to come up. Get a paper towel and grad the membrane. The paper towel will soak up the moisture on the membrane and grab a hold of the membrane. The try to pull it where the whole membrane will come off in one piece. Its not easy. If you loose some along the way its okay just use the paper towel to grab what you left behind.

The fat under the membrane is and issue too. Some people will leave it on there and allow it to burn off during the cook. Some people will get a big spoon and put the round tip edge and scrape all that fat off. I say leave it on and put a good amount of rub on it. It will burn off but when you take them off the first time just put a lot of rub on under neath.